Tuesday 27 September 2016

Potatoes in the News

Over the past month, three quirky Canadian news stories about potatoes caught my eye (get it? get it? sorry). Links in the text are to the original news item.

Yes, it's been slow around here lately and I am reduced to this.

1. The Spud of Honour


[photo courtesy of
PEI Potato Board/Facebook]

"Tate the Tater," industry mascot for the Prince Edward Island Potato Board, was invited in August to attend a local PEI wedding. The groom, not surprisingly, works on a potato farm and the wedding took place on another potato farm. Who wouldn't want a real "bud the spud from the bright red mud" at their wedding? (to quote Stompin' Tom for the first and last time in my life).

2. The Little Potato


[photo by
The Associated Press]

One of the more interesting facts to emerge from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent trade trip to China is that he is known in that country as "the little potato." It's a play on words because the Chinese word for "potato" apparently sounds just like "Trudeau" but without the "r" in it. I wonder if this means they called his old man "the big potato?"

3. Smite the Unbelievers, O Lord!


[photo by
Gaston Lebreaux]

About a month ago, the latest Holy Sign from God revealed itself in a potato that was being cut up for supper at a Quebec seniors' residence. Devout residents are now drying out the Holy Potato so it can be preserved in a custom-made display case in the dining room. No word yet whether the seniors' residence has become a place of pilgrimage.

Some sceptics suggest that the markings may be the result of "hollow heart," an affliction found in potatoes grown in heavily irrigated soil during wet seasons. This condition causes cells to die and results in brown tissue at the centre of the spud.

41 comments:

anne marie in philly said...

"eye" see what you did!

lawd, this girl needs some writing help; where oh where are the muses when she needs them?

Marie Smith said...

So glad to see my home province represented in the potato category! Stompin' Tom would be happy for Bud

DEZMOND said...

OMG a holy potato! Would the chips have a blissful and blessed taste?

LL Cool Joe said...

And the Holy potato has been cut into the shape of a coffin. Very comforting for the senior residents I'm sure.

Bob said...

Aren't those the three signs of the Tater Apocalypse?

Sylvie said...

Hahaha! Got to love our news. I wonder which senior residence it is.

Terry said...

It's good that Prince William is visiting Canada. We don't have his photo on the front of the papers for a while to remind us of what he looks like. Thank God for that.

MrsDuncanMahogany said...

What a great post! Potatoes....who knew they were so popular!

FYI - The Beady Eye has gone mobile! You can now get a Goog or Cantaberry on the road! :)

You should move back to the Peg - if only for the ice cream! :)

Magaly Guerrero said...

Holiness is in the heart of the potato. It makes perfect sense.

Lady M said...

Wow - that's gonna challenge my atheism for sure!*not*

Susan said...

OMG, did I need to read this post today. You are the BEST!

Birdie said...

Eye love this post!

Barbara said...

Too funny. It is funny how something like the potato will pop up in different places at the same time. I'm sure I'll be seeing the spuds around here now that you've called my attention to it. LOL.

Adam said...

I once saw a X in my food. The lord and savior of all humanity, Microsoft Xbox

Guillaume said...

The bride in the first picture looks like a friend of mine.

Janie Junebug said...

Me loves a good spud. AARR!

Love,
Janie

Martha said...

A holy potato in my hometown... *groan*

baili said...

potatoes the love of my childhood ,craze of my teenage and banned in my forties oh God

Debi Livsey said...

Spud tabular as always! Oh those wacky Catholics, they can explain everything! Amazing 🤓

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

The holy potato will soon be holy moldy potato? What a waste of an otherwise hearty dose of crisp french fries.

Linda @ Life and Linda said...

Love your sense of whimsy and of course the potatoes....LOL

HBF said...

"Eye" second Birdie!

Also, I had forgotten how studly your PM is! Another perk to a good post ;o)

bj said...

the thing I like best about this post is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau...
whew...what a hunk

Jono said...

Eye've never seen a Holy Potato until now. How long does it have to wait for sainthood?

Crystal Collier said...

That wedding picture killed me. Oh my goodness! Bwahahaha! I hope they got some decent shots without the potato. Poor bride.

Ol'Buzzard said...

God has to appear in a potato? Doesn't say much for an all powerful - why not a meteor shower that turns night to day - or some other magnificent display? Pretty poor showing if you ask me.
the Ol'Buzzard

This N That said...

Seriously ??? Taters??

Cperz said...

Those are pretty funny taters. I love in the last article the guy is quoted as saying "he doesn't want people visiting until the vegetable is dried and put into it's custom made case." OMG...this spud is giving these seniors a new reason to live...tourism.

G. B. Miller said...

Now your comment about potatoes on my blog makes perfect sense. :D

I Are Writer!

Insomniac's Attic said...

I'll be checking my potatoes more closely when I cut into them from now on. I think one of those would look tremendous in my Cabinet of Curiosities. ;)

The Captain said...

Potatoes get a bad rap these days. I love potatoes.

yellowdoggranny said...

you have a potato man running around Canada and we have creepy clowns creeping around..sigh*

Magic Love Crow said...

I love the "Little Potato"! That is adorable!! I bet his old man was the big potato! LOL!

Unknown said...

I like potatoes in my curry.
and i make a hell of a mashed potato dish!
hahaha!

Fundy Blue said...

Loved this post, Debra! There are plenty of PEI potato farmers in my father's family tree. Terry even met one of my father's cousins who was representing the PEI Potato Board at a conference in Denver ~ not too long before we were married. Nothing fills you like a good PEI potato! Have a great weekend!

Fundy Blue said...

btw, Debra ~ I forgot to say that I've been to the Robert Bateman Center twice. It's wonderful. I returned the second time with my sister Donnie who is a big fan of RB. Thanks for recommending this!

Professor Chaos said...

Potatoes are God's greatest creation! French fries, hashbrowns, baked, mashed, au gratin, home fries. . . There is virtually no end to the ways you can enjoy the potato.

Professor Chaos said...

Oh, my God, whatever it is the Greeks do to their roasted potatoes! Can't believe I forgot those!

AntiquityTravelers said...

generally I think of potatoes as its own food group, as I love them - pretty much any way you want to make them. I've been known to have mashed potatoes and corn for dinner (who wouldn't want a plate of starch?)

The Happy Whisk said...

I LOVE POTATOES!!!!!!

Willym said...

You know I've seen the odd potato here on PEI. I think they must grow some here.